Inquiry finds paediatrician guilty of poor professional performance

Six of seven allegations of poor professional performance against Dr Mohammad Ilyas Khan were proven as fact, found the FTP Committee.

At a later stage, the Committee will make a recommendation to the Council in relation to a sanction on Dr Khan.

It was found that, while practising in South Tipperary General Hospital in June 2012, following the birth of a patient named as BT, Dr Khan failed to put in place an adequate plan for the treatment of the patient’s diagnosis of hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.

Dr Khan was also found to have failed to follow the National Neo-Natal Transport Programme’s Guidelines of 2011 in respect of the transfer of infants for hypothermic treatment.

Following the birth of BT, Dr Khan was also found to have failed to arrange for his transfer to a neo-natal intensive care unit for specialist treatment to include hypothermic treatment.

The Committee also found that Dr Khan failed to obtain a second opinion from a paediatrician in relation to the management and/or treatment of the patient’s condition.

It was also proven that Dr Khan had told BT’s parents that their baby was “fine” in circumstances where he was displaying seizure-type activity.

In a statement to media afterwards, the Tobins – parents of patient BT -said they were “very pleased” that “six out of the seven allegations against Dr Khan regarding the care of our son have been proven beyond reasonable doubt”.

Their son has cerebral palsy and requires a range of therapeutic supports.

The family said the outcome of the inquiry would not change their lives. However, they said the inquiry process was a “very positive” experience and they “always felt listened to and heard”.